Those Words
by KathrynValmont
Summary: Bobby hated those words that signified that he had lost her forever.  Things couldn’t end this way.  Marie couldn’t possibly be ending things this time.  They have damaged each other good, but there had to be something left worth fighting for.


THOSE WORDS

Back round: There are no mutants. They are normal people. Bobby and Marie are married. Bobby has slept with Kitty. Marie has slept with John to payback Bobby for his infidelity. Marie has decided to leave….

Summary: Bobby hated those words that signified that he had lost her forever. Things couldn't end this way. Marie couldn't possibly be ending things this time. They have damaged each other good, but there had to be something left worth fighting for.

"Don't leave," he softly begged as he watched her hand reach for the front door one more time.

"It's for the best, Bobby. You have to trust me…"

Bobby looked at Marie as if she had simply lost her mind. In his mind she must have. She couldn't have been serious. She couldn't mean it. All of this was the last thing that he had ever wanted to happen.

"Stay. You're the only one who's never given up on me," said Bobby looking deeply in her eyes, almost begging her not to abandon him.

"I'm not giving you up because I want to hurt you. I'm giving you up, because I want you to be happy…"

"You're the only one who's ever made me happy," said Booby, with heavy emotion in his voice tone.

"Well, I want to be happy again. I really do…"

"Give me a chance…"

She looked up at him as if she were looking for just one reason to stay. That was all she needed. That was all it would probably take from him. If he could just give her one real reason why she shouldn't walk out that door then there was a chance that she wouldn't, wouldn't be able to. Despite everything, she loved this man standing in front of her. She always had. She always would.

"Did I make you happy when you found me in bed with John," asked Marie in a bitter tone.

"No, but I understood why you were doing it. It had nothing to do with love. It had to do with pain…"

"Pain, Bobby, it's a really funny thing. Pain can drive most women to do nearly anything. But, how do you know it was just pain that drove me there? After all I did say most women. I don't truly fall into that category, now do I," asked Marie, not truly expecting a response from her husband.

"If it wasn't pain, then what was it? Are you saying you love John? I refuse to believe it. No one loves John, at least not really," said Bobby as if the entire idea of the situation was ludicrous.

"And what if I do," asked Marie, challengingly, wanting to hurt him in any way that was possible at this point.

"I'm not even going to go there with you. You want to hurt me so I will hurt you. That way you can feel so much better about leaving, and not guilty. If I wanted to hurt you I would look you in the eyes and ask what if I had loved Kitty the day I forsook our marriage vows…"

"This is why I'm leaving. I am sick of all of this. I really am. And there is not a soul on earth that can blame me for feeling this way. We don't belong together. And we never really did," said Marie as she looked him accusingly.

Marie was shocked when Bobby spun her around into his embrace. He held her as close as humanly possible. His face was about an inch away from her own. She saw the look in his icy blue eyes. He was beyond angry.

"Say that one more time. I'm not quite sure the neighbors could hear you," said Bobby with an angry and sarcastic tone to his voice.

"We don't-"

Bobby covered her lips with his own because he couldn't bear to hear her say those words a second time. They were like little sharp needles being drilled in and out of his heart over and over again. Those words were the last thing that he could even begin to handle. She was his. Marie belonged to him, god damn it. Damn it all to hell. This was going to end right here. He would make sure of it. There was no way he was allowing his wife to leave him.

Marie threw her arms around him and kissed him with a sense of urgency that she wasn't aware she felt until that very moment in time. She wanted to leave to see if she could possibly exist without him. And she would. Marie just no longer knew if being without him would be any kind of a life worth having. She was even surer that she didn't want to know the answer to that question.

"I'm still leaving in the morning," said Marie, trying to convince herself.

"Shut up. You know I hate those words."

"Well, it's true," spoke up Marie.

"Like hell it is. Can you walk away from me? Can you live the rest of your life without me," whispered Bobby into Marie's ear.

"The better question would be can you live without me? You would die without me, simply helpless," taunted Marie.

"I hate it when you taunt me. I hate your words. You're not leaving. Just go to bed. We've had this argument every single night for an entire month," said Bobby, sounding drained.

"Tonight is different. I'm leaving. This time these words have meaning. I can't do this anymore. I can't look at you without remembering how badly you hurt me. You slept with her! Do you remember that?"

"How could I forget? You remind me every single day. I would do anything to take that moment back. You have got to know that, come to an understanding of that!"

"It doesn't change things. And it doesn't change the fact that I slept with John because I wanted to get back at you. I loved you and you betrayed me. I didn't have to stay at that point. I shouldn't have."

"But, you did. You chose to stay with me…"

"I don't understand why I made that decision. I really don't," muttered Marie wearily.

"You love me! That's what it really comes down to. No matter what I say and do you are always going to love me. No matter what you say or do I am always going to love you. There's no escaping that simple fact," shouted Bobby.

"This is what you call a simple fact? That simple fact, as you so lightly put it, keeps me here, with you! Those words, the ones that talk about my departure mean nothing. I am not bound to you by marriage. I am bound to you by a love that won't die no matter what you do!"

"You think I want it that way," exhaustion, lacing Bobby's voice.

"Of course you do, as do I…"

"Maybe you're right. If you want to leave me, then leave. I'm not stopping you this time. You want to walk through that door go ahead. Just know that I'm not coming after you. I don't have the energy this time!"

"But, this is your fault!"

"Of course it is. All of our problems are always my fault. You have absolutely no part in the entire matter, now do you? Just leave if you're going to…"

Marie looked at the door before looking back at her husband who had already gotten into their bed. Tears rolled down her cheek as she walked towards the door. She could do this. All she had to do was keep on walking. It was that simple. But, she had to know something first. When it came to Bobby she always had to know just one more thing before deciding anything.

If there was anyway for them to stay together she had to know. She needed to know what the hell she was fighting for, if anything at all. She wondered if what they had was still worth saving.

"If I stay, what happens tomorrow," asked Marie.

"We'll worry about that tomorrow…"

Marie walked over to the bed and climbed in beside her husband. She leaned her head on his chest. She felt his strong arms wrap around her. She wished that it could always be this way.

"What if we don't make it…."

"Just stop saying those words and we will. I promise…"

"How can you say things like that, with such assurance," questioned Marie.

"Why don't we stop saying anything? Those words seem to always get into trouble…"

Marie nodded her head silently as her eyes connected with Bobby's. He kissed her for the first time, with her not worrying about anything. She'd worry about everything tomorrow. Each new day came with it's own set of problems…


End file.
